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g- 31, 1943- w. H. SCHROEDER V Re. 23,034

' KITE Original Filed Jan. 26, :1946

x fit h 5 fi 5 I [Ll-after :14 50171-- a 1:: 51" A f BY Ztlgm Reissued Aug. 31, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KITE g Walter H. Schroeder, Los Angeles, Calif Original'No. 2,422,804, June 24,1947, Serial N...

643,651, January 26, 1946. Application for reissue November 28, 1947, Serial No. 788,333

12 Claims. (01. 244 153) My present invention relates to akite, and more pa u y to a knock-down kite which is eapable of being assembled and disassembled-rerepea-tedly without adversely affecting its flying characteristics.

An object of the present invention is to make an improved demountable kite. 7 1

Another object is tomake-a kite having a central socketed assembly member made from -a single piece of sheet metal formed so thatthe-structure will be light and the parts comprising-tn assembly will mutually brace each-other.

Another object is to make a-kitehaving a frame (to which a covering may readily be attached in 'proper adjusted relation, .and from which the covering is easily removed. a Y

Another object is to make a kite having a covering of tough, somewhat elastic material, with the peripheral edges thereof bound in tough, relatively non-stretchable material. l Y

Another object is to make a knock do'wn kite having the composite members thereof in relatively supporting and mutual positioning relation to each other. a

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawingsjn which:

Fig. 1 is a rear elevational view of a kite embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a lower end vie-w of the kite shown in Fig. 3 is a somewhat enlarged view in'persp-ective of a sheet metal structure for joiningvertical and horizontal ribs of the kite; v

Fig. 4 is a further-enlarged fragmen t-aryrear elevational View of the cross frame portion of-the kite;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 with'the central portion thereof broken away to show the interior construction;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 6"6 of Fig. 4;

Fig. '7 is a transverse vertical sectional view through a secondary joint in the-vertical rib member;

Fig. 8 is a plan view, to the same scale as Fig. 3, of a sheet metal blank used in making the-cross frame bracing member illustrated in Fig. 3;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of the kite at the top of the vertical rib, showing a fragment of the covering attached thereto;

Fig. 10 is asectional view on. theline Ill-10 ofFig.9; 1 I I Fig. 11 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig.

10, but showing the lower-end of the kite;

Fig. 12 is a sectional view on the line I2-l2 olFig.11;.

Fig. 13 is a sectional viewon the line l-3-l3 ofFig.11; 7

'Fig. 14 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of the outer end of a cross'rib showing the method of attaching'the covering and a bowing string;

and I Fig. 15 is a sectional view on the line l5l5 of Fig.14.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a socketed central-1 framing cross 20, best illustrated in Fig. 3, is1formed from a blank 2| of sheet. metal, as shown in Fig. 8. The sheet metal used for making this member may be Duralumin of approximately twenty-five thousandths inch in thickness, or other suitable material, such as galvanized sheet steel of approximately the same thickness. v

- The ilnes of bend are indicated by dotted lines onthe blank in Fig; 8,1 and the device is bent to the cross-likegrectangular form illustrated. A hole 22 is drilled entirely through thefront and rear walls of the cross at the intersection of its axes.

A cotter" key 23 is inserted in the holes 22 and the projecting legs thereofare bent outwardly. This cotterkey remains in position throughout the life of the kite. The cotter key 23 serves as a positioning device to limit the insertion of the vertical and transverse rib members, and also serves as a point of attachment for a string 24 used inflying the kite.

A pair of transverse rib members 25 and 26 are preferably of basswood, as are all of the ribs employed in making the kite. The-transverse ribs arenotchedacross their inner ends, as at 28 in Fig. 5, to a depth approximately one-half the diameter of the cotter key 23 and are of a size to f t closely within the rectangular sockets in the sides of the frame cross member 20. One of the transverse ribs is provided with: a pair of dowel-pins 21 (see Fig. 5) which may be of stiff steel wire, and theother transverse rib has a pair of holes drilled to receive these dowels.

Each of the transverse ribs is provided near its outer end with-a tubular rivet 29 inserted in a hole drilled through the rib, Fiber washers 3H-and3l are p1aced un der the flanges of the tubular rivet-when it is riveted into position, so that these fiber washers will be held by the rivet flanges securely against the front andrear sides respectively of the transverse ribs. I

A bowing string 32 issecured beneath one of the :front fiber disks 30, as by Wrapping, it one.

tion beneath one of the front fiber disks 30 into the notch 33, around the terminal end of one of the transverse ribs, then across and into the- I notch in the terminal end of the other transverse rib. At this point the entire transverse ri'b assembly is bowed so that the bowing string 32 is spaced rearwardly from the central brossmem her a distance equal to approximatelyone-tenth of the chord of the are formed by the bowed rib members.

A short upper vertical rib 35 is provided with a notch 31 in its upper end, and a tubular rivet 38 is inserted in an opening drilled transversely through the rib 35 near its upper end. A. fiber Washer 39 is gripped by the flange of; the rivet '3B on the rear side of this upper rib. The upper rib is inserted removably in the socketed upper end of the frame cross member The lower end of the upper rib is forced downwardly into contact with the upper edges of the transverse ribs and 26, within the socketed cross member,

An intermediate lower vertical rib member 40 is ada'pted to be inserted in the lower opening in the frame cross member 20 and its upper end is brought into contactwith the lower edges of the inner end portions of the transverse ribs 25 and-26. The lower end of the intermediate vertical rib member 40- is provided with a. pair of steel wire dowels 4| similar to those used in joining the transverse ribs. A lower verticalrib member 42 is provided with-a pair ofopenings drilled in an end thereof to. receive the dowels 41 to secure these members together, asillustrated'in Figs. land 7.

Thelower end of thelower'vertical rib-member 42 is notched, as at 43, and a cotter key 44- is inserted in an opening drilled inwar dlya short distance from the lower end of this lower vertical rib. The eye ofthe' cott'er key is towardthe front of the kite frame, when-assembled, and the legs of the cotterkey are bent outwardly-as illustrated in Fig. 13, to -secure the cotter'key'in position.

A tubular rivet 45 is inserted in an opening drilled through the lower vertical rib member above the cotter key 44, anda fiber washer 4! is secured beneath a flange of-the-tubular rivet on the rear side of the kite when -assembled-,-or, in other words, on the opposite-side from the -'eye of'the cotter key 44. The ends -of each-of the rib members,'where'subjectedtoe-splitting stress, as for example, where the" dowel-s are mounted, or where the dowel holes are provide'd-, as well as at *each of the terminal ends-of each-of the various rib members, a thin wrapping orcoating of tough material, such as Cellophane tape, OI a-dip-type of coating material, preferably is pro videdto reinforce thBSBEIldS and'to preventsplitting.

A cover 48 for the lzite' preferably is' of tough, light, water resistant sheet material, cut 'to' a size as illustrated in Fig. l =to-cover the "framework of the 'kite. The cover is edged'by folding a strip of adhesive coate'd relatively non-stretchable material over the edge of. the cover -material and pressingit into adhesive engagement 4 with the cover material. For the cover I prefer to use the product known as Vitafilm, made by the Goodyear Rubber Company, and for the edge I prefer to use a narrow strip of Scotch tape, made by the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company.

The Vitafilm material has a slight amount of stretchability, a lthough'it is not resilient, so that in flight it permits the large lower areas of the cover below the transverse ribs to bell rearward slightly, while the relatively non-stretchable edging prevents the air from spilling out of these bell formed areas and gives the kite excellent flying. characteristics.

The. cover has four eyelets 49, 50 and 5| (two) spaced. inwardly respectively from each of its fourco'rners, Each of these eyelets before being riveted in place, has a short length of string wrapped around beneath the riveted end of the eyelet on the inner side of the covering 48, as best shown in Figs. 10 and .12. Ahole is punched in the-'coverover each of the cotter keys "23 and 44 to permit the; eyes ofv the cotter keys to passthrough these openings in the cover. The cover 48 is attached to the framework, preferably beginning at: the, top of" the short upper vertical rib 35 by passing the string 53. secured to the top corner of the cover over the top of the vertical. rib so as to lie in the notch 31 in the top of this rib, and then Winding the string around the tubular rivet 38 beneath the fiber washer 39.

By drawing the free end of this string 53 taut, the string is wedged beneath the fiber washer and thus is secured in position.

Next, the lower end of the cover is secured: by passing the string 53 secured to the lower corner of the cover over the lower end of the" vertical rib member 42, positioning the string inthe notch 43 in the lower end of the -rib,ran'd then mapping the string tightly beneath the fiber washer 41' secured by the tubular rivet 45. The side 'corners of the coverthen are secured in the position by passing the strings 53 secured to theeyelets in these sidecorners' around the ends of the transverse ribs 25 andZB and securing the strings in position by wrapping them beneath the fiber washers 3! on the rear of the transverse ribs.

The string 24 for flying the kite preferably is connected to the eye of the-cotter key 23 positioned through the frame cross member 20 by means of a wire connector 54 of a type commonly employed 'to connect a. fishing line to abait. This single connection is all that is necessary for satisfactorily flying the. kite. However, .additionalstabilityin flying is obtained by attache ing a second short line 55 (see Fig. 12) from the cotter key 44 in the lower end of the vertical rib to the main flightline l-4..at a-dis-tance outwardly from the point of attachmentof the main flight line to the cotter key 23 equal approximately to one-half the maximum width of the kite.- The length-of the short stabilizing linef55 is equal-approximatelytothatof one of the lower diagonal edges of the cover. The length .of the short stabilizing line'is indicated by the bracket X in Fig. 1, and'the distance. outs-from the cotter key 23 at whichthestabilizing .line 55-is connected to the main flight 1ine-24is indicated by the bracket Y.

Thekitehas 1 excellent flying characteristics andis extremely simple to assemble and disassemble. It packs into a very small space, and'is capable of being assembled, flown and disassembled time, after time without injury. 7

.,.,-.It-will;be noted in Fig.1 3; thatthe side..sockets of :the; frame cross member are so, ;positioned that when; arearward bending or bowing moment is applied to the cross ribs and 2B, the bending stress will be transmitted to the vertical central edge portions of the cross frame member. This feature makesthisa very rigid, light structure and one which is extremely simpleand economical to manufacture.

; The arrangement, of the tubular rivets and fiber washers for assembling the kite, also provides for maximum security of the covering with a minimum amount of weight and also greatly simplifies the kite structure. v e cotter key 23, in addition to acting as a positioning element to insure proper positioning of all four ofthe rib memberswhich are united at. this point, also serves asan attaching point for the flight line 24, .-Wh ile I have illustrated apreferred embodiment of my invention, it will be'understood by those familiar with the 'art that the device is capableof some modification, and I do not desire to limit the invention except as defined in the appended claims. I

- I claim v 1. A demountable kite comprising a socketed frame member, a central positioning pin mounted therein, a pair of transverse kite ribs inserted in thelsocketed member and having endwise engagement with the pin, an upper kite rib inserted in the socketed member and having endwise engagement with a transverse kite rib, a lower kite rib inserted in the socketed member and having endwise engagement with a side of a transverse kite rib, string securing means mounted adjacent the terminal end of each rib, a cover shaped to cover the area defined by the rib members, a plurality of eyelets secured to the cover and adapted to be positioned one adjacent the termi-. nalend of each rib member, and a string connected to each eyelet and adapted to pass over a rib end to be secured removably to the string securing means thereby removably to attach the cover in position.

2. A demountable kite comprising a central socketed frame member formed of sheet metal, the blank for the socketed frame member being provided with a pair of internal U-shaped slots with return slots at the ends of the U, the body of the blank being bent to comprise a tubular pair of sockets and the slotted U portions being bent to form a second pair of sockets transverse to the tube sockets, a pair of kite ribs removably inserted in one pair of sockets of the socketed member and having endwise abutting relation with each other, a second pair of kite ribs mounted in the other pair of sockets and having abutting relation with the first ribs, and a cover shaped to conform to the outline defined by the terminal ends of the kite ribs and removably secured thereto.

3. A demountable kite comprising a central socketed frame member formed from a rectangular blank of sheet metal, the blank for the socketed frame member having a pair of internal U-shaped slots with return slots at the ends of the U, the body of the blank being bent to comprise a tubular pair of sockets and the slotted U portions being bent to form a second pair of sockets transverse to the tube sockets, the sockets formed by the slotted U portions having abutting edgewise supported engagement with the body tubular sockets, a positioning member mounted centrally of the socketed member, a pair of kite ribs removably inserted in one pair of sockets of the; Socketediriember and-havin endwiseabut-i ting relation with the positioning membenja sec?- ond pair of kite ribs removably mounted in the other pair of sockets and having endwise abutting relation with aside portion of the first ribs, and acover shaped to conform to the outline defined by the terminal ends of the kite ribs and removably secured thereto.

4. A demountable kite comprising a central socketed frame member formed of sheetmetal, the blank for the socketed frame member being rectangular and provided with a pair of internal U-shaped slots with return slots at the endsof the U, the body of the blank being bent to comprise a tubular pair of sockets and the slotted U portions-being bent to form a second pair of sockets transverse to the tube sockets, the sockets formed by the slotted U portions having abutting edgewise supported engagement with. the body tubular sockets, a positioning member mounted centrally of the'socketed member and having a line connecting eye carried by the socketed member, a pair of kite ribs removably inserted in one pair of sockets of the socketed memher and having endwise abutting relation with the positioning member, a second pair of kite ribs .removably mounted in the other pair of sockets and having abutting relation with the first ribs, and a cover shaped to conform to the outline defined by the terminal ends of the kite ribs and removably secured thereto, the cover having an openingtherein positioned to pass the line connecting eye therethrough.

5. In a demountable kite, a frame comprising a rib support, a plurality of ribs removably connected to. the rib support to form a cross shaped kite frame, two transverse ribs of the cross shaped frame being symmetrical and a top and a bottom rib being unsymmetrical, each of said ribs having a notched terminal end, a relatively stiff but somewhat flexible washer secured to each rib to lie closely against a rib surface, a cover shaped to cover'the kite frame, and a plurality of flexible strands connected to the cover to lie one ad- J'a/centthe terminal end of each'rib of the kite frame when the cover is placed thereon, the strands being adapted to overlie the notched ends of the ribs and to be drawn closely beneath said washers, removably to secure the cover to the frame.

In a demountable kite a. frame comprising a rib support, a plurality of ribsremovably connected to said rib support to form a cross shaped kite frame, the transverse ribs of the cross being symmetrical and the top and bottom ribs being unsymmetrical, each of said ribs having a notched terminal end, a plurality of relatively stiff but somewhat flexible first washers, means securing one of said first washers to each rib to lie closely against a rib surface, an additional similar washer secured to each of the transverse ribs on the opposite side of the rib from, but secured by the same securing means as the first washers thereon, a bowing line removably secured beneath the ad-- ditional washers and passing over the ends of the transverse ribs to be in the notches therein, the bowing line exerting a predetermined bowing stress on the transverse ribs, a cover shaped to cover the kite frame and a plurality of flexible strands connected to the cover to lie one adjacent the terminal end of each rib of the kite frame when the cover is placed thereon, the strands being adapted to overlie the notched ends of the ribs and to be drawn closely beneath said.

esteem:

first washers, removably' to secure the cover to the-frame.

7. A demountable kite comprising a central socketed frame member formed of sheet metal, the blank for the socketed' frame member being provided witha pair of internal U-shaped slots, with return slots at the ends ofthe U, the body of the blank being bent tocomprise a tubular pair of sockets, the slotted U portions being bent to form a second pair of sockets transverse to the tube sockets, a plurality'of kite ribs inserted in said sockets to form across-shaped kite frame, and a cover removably secured totheterminal ends of said ribs.

8. A demountable kite comprising a central socketed frame member formed of sheet' metal, the blank for the socketed'frame member being provided with a pair of internal U-shaped slots, with return slots at the ends of the U, the body of the blank being bent to comprise a tubular pair of sockets, the slotted U portions'bein-gbent to form a second pair of sockets transverse to the tube sockets, a kite rib inserted in one pair of said sockets, a'p'air'of other kite ribs inserted in the other pair of sockets to have endwis'e abutment with the first rib, to form a cross-shaped kite frame, and a cover removably-secured to the terminal ends of saidribs.

9. A demountable kite comprising a cross socketed frame member, a'rib member inserted in the soeketed member, asecond rib member inserted in the socketed member and having end- Wise abutting engagement with said first rib', a third rib member inserted in the socketed member and havingendwise engagement witha side of the first and second rib members andv a. fourth rib member inserted in said socketed member and having endwise engagement with an opposite side of said first and second rib members, to form a cross-shaped kite, frame, a cover shaped to cover the area defined by the rib members, removable cover attaching means mounted adjacent the outer end of each rib, and cooperating cover attaching means mounted on said cover to be posie tioned adjacent a terminal end of eachrib,

10. A demountable kite comprising a cross socketed frame member, a first rib member inserted in the socketed member, a positioning pin inserted through said socketed member andhaving positioning engagement with said first rib member, a second rib member inserted in the socketed member and having endwise abutting engagement with said first rib, a thirdri'b mem ber" inserted in the socketed member and having endwise' engagement with aside of the first and second rib members and a fourth rib member inserted in said socketed member and having endwise engagement with'an opposite side of said first and second 'ribmembers, to form a crossshaped kite frame, a cover shaped to cover the area defined by the rib members, removable cover attaching means mounted adjacent the outer end of each rib, and cooperating cover attaching means mounted on said cover to be positioned adjacent a terminal end of each rib.

11. A demountable' kite comprising a central cross socketed frame member, formed from a sheet metal blank, a pair of oppositely directed tabs cut from the metal of said'blank oneach side" thereof, thebody of the-blank being bent to define a tubular socket, the tabs being bent to define sockets transverse to thesocket formed by bending the body, the tabs when so bent having abutting edgewise supported engagementjwith the body tubular socket, a' plurality of kite ribs inserted in said sockets, and a cover shaped to conform to the outline defined by the terminal ends of the kite ribs and removablv secured'ther'eto.

12'. A demountable kite comprising a central cross socketed frame member, formed from a'rectangular blank of sheet metal, apairof oppositely directed tabs cut from the metal of said blankon each side thereof, the body of the blank being bent to define a tubular socket, thetabs being bent to define a second socket transverse to the'socket formed by bending the body, the tabs when so bent having'abutting edgewise supported engagement with the body tubular socket, a kite rib insertedin one of said sockets, and a second kite rib inserted'in another of said sockets to form a cross shaped kite frame and a cover shaped to conform to the-outline defined by the terminalends of'the kite ribs and removably' secured thereto.

WALTER I-I. SCI-IROEDER.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES, PATENTS of record in the Date Number Name I seaszs Fleharty Aug. 16, 1887 1,456,260

Trombley May 22, 1923 

